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Koster swaps Bath for Bristol

Wed, 05 Mar 2014 16:08

Nick Koster is to leave Bath at the end of the season after agreeing a permanent deal with local rivals Bristol.

The former Stormers back row forward has spent the current season on loan with rivals Bristol and has decided to make his move a permanent one after an impressive stint at the Memorial Stadium.

The 25-year-old back row forward joined Bath from the Cape Town Super Rugby franchise, the Stormers, in late 2012 but made just a handful of appearances for the side.

“I’ve really enjoyed my time at Bath, and am thankful for the opportunity the club gave me in coming over to England to further my career." Koster said

Bath head coach Mike Ford added “Nick is a good young player who has done very well for Bristol this season. The possibility of him moving there beyond this season came up, and it was felt by all involved that it would be a good option.

“We are confident Nick will be a great asset for Bristol and wish him all the best there.”

Koster has had somewhat of a revival at Bristol and is hopefully of getting back to his best with the Championship side

“I’m looking forward now to kicking-on with Bristol and hopefully helping them push on this season and beyond.

“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time with Bristol so far and I feel as though my game has progressed under the current coaching set-up.

“There’s a great spirit within the group and it’s a positive environment to be involved in. Now, we’re all working hard to ensure we reach the play-offs.”

Koster has scored four tries in 13 appearances for Bristol this term and director of rugby Andy Robinson was delighted to snap him up on a full-time basis.

“Nick’s really benefited from regular game-time throughout the season. He’s shown, consistently, that he can make a difference in games and he has complemented our back row well." commented Robinson

“Now that Nick has committed to us permanently, the focus is on him to continue delivering a high level of performance and to work hard to keep getting better.”